Door catch



June 1955 J. P. WILSON DOOR CATCH Filed 001;. 27, 1952 (7MP W'Zwn/ 5} MAW 5' States arrays;

noon CATCH Application October 27, 1952, Serial No. 317,000

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-73) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in door catches and more particularly to new and useful improvements in door catches wherein a pair of similar catch assemblies are mounted on a door and door jamb to resiliently maintain the door in a closed position.

A door catch of this type has particular application in dryers and other equipment where it is necessary to provide ready access to the interior of the equipment, and also is particularly suitable for use as an explosion type latch as it provides a resilient, firm and unlocked latch which meets all the requirements for an explosion latch. In presently existing dryer equipment and similar apparatus comprising a housing having a framework fabricated of angle iron stock, bolted together and having similarly secured thereto the usual wall and partition panels, access of the interior of the housing is obtained by removing one or more of the bolted panels; however, in a housing wherein inner and outer sheathing panels are secured to a framework by spring clips or snap strips, it is not as feasible to remove a panel in order to obtain access to the interior of the housing and doors must be provided at spaced intervals along the length of the housing. The doors should be flush With the interior and exterior surfaces of the housing and a tight seal must be provided about the entire periphery of the door. In addition, the cost of manufacturing the door and placing it on the housing must be kept at a minimum so as not to increase the price of the housing. Accordingly, a door catch must be provided having the certain features of construction and arrangement which will not interfere in any way with the operation of the apparatus.

For example, the door catch must resiliently maintain the door in a closed position, must be entirely enclosed within the door so that there are no parts projecting interiorly or exteriorly of the housing and the door catch must not interfere with a seal placed about the periphery of the door.

With the foregoing in mind, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel door catch for dryers and other equipment operable to resiliently maintain a door in a closed position and which will not interfere With a door seal placed about the periphery of the door or doorway.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel door catch entirely enclosed within the door and door jamb having no projecting parts interiorly or exteriorly of the housing which would interfere with the operation of the equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel door catch which may be used as an explosion latch and will resiliently and firmly maintain a door closed, yet unlocked.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel door catch wherein the latch and keeper are of similar construction and may be mounted in a similar manner either on the door or door jamb, thereby sim- 2,719,764 Patented June 14, 1.)55

plifying the manufacture and assembly of the door catch.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel door catch having the features and characteristics set forth which may be manufactured easily and cheaply and is entirely efiicient and effective in operation and use.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view partially in section of a door and door jamb embodying the door catch of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one-half of the door catch illustrated in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cylindrical catch member, the resilient backing plate which urges the catch member forwardly, and the face plate for the door catch.

Referring more specifically t0 the drawings in Fig. 1, there is illustrated a door and door jamb l0 and 11, respectively, on which a pair of similar catch assemblies 12, 12 are mounted. The door 10 opens outwardly of the dryer and closes against a gasketed door stop 14 mounted interiorly of the dryer on the door jamb. if desired, however, the door stop 14 may be mounted on the door it) exteriorly of the dryer. It is important that the door it? be flush with the interior and exterior walls of the dryer when it is closed and accordingly, the catch assemblies l2, 12 must resiliently urge the door against the stop 14.

in accordance with the present invention, each catch assembly comprises a face plate 15, a cylindrical catch member 16, and a resilient backing plate 17 which normally urges the cylindrical catch member 116 forwardly with respect to the face plate 15.

The cylindrical catch member is engaged by the resilient backing plate 16, for example as indicated in Fig. l, and force forwardly or outwardly with respect to the face plate 15. The backing plate 18 is positioned behind the face plate so that the cylindrical catch member 16 is supported in a position in registry with a generally rectangular opening 19 provided in the face plate 15 and offset with respect to the longitudinal center line of the face plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The opening 19 has a width slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical catch member to prevent passage of the catch member 16 through the opening, and at the same time the side walls of the opening are tapered inwardly to permit the catch member to extend as far as possible beyond the outer face of the face plate 15. The cylindrical catch member 16 is not secured to any portion of the door catch assembly but is free and rotatable and is supported solely by the backing plate and the edge portions of the opening 19, thereby permitting rotation of the catch member. By this construction when the resilient backing plate is positioned adjacent the face plate, the cylindrical catch member 16 is resiliently urged to a forward limit position wherein the catch member projects outwardly of the face plate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In addition, by varying the angular displacement of the resilient backing plate, the force necessary to displace the catch member rearwardly may be varied.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the face plates of the catch assemblies 12, 12 are secured to the edge of the door and door jamb by means of metal screws 21 and the resilient backing plate 17 has openings 22 along one edge thereof through which the metal screws 21 extend so that the backing plate is secured in a predetermined position with respect to the face plate.

The opposite edge of the backing plate is free and resiliently urges the cylindrical catch member outwardly, while a spacer 23 is positioned between the edge of the face plate and the door or door jamb opposite to the edge of the face plate supporting the backing plate to maintain the face place in alignment with the edge of the door or door jamb.

The two catch assemblies are mounted on the door and door jamb directly opposite each other in a reverse relation so that the offset openings in the face plates are positioned at opposite sides of the door and door jamb. In order to open the door outwardly, the opening in the face plate of the catch assembly 12 which is mounted on the door is offset towards the inner side of the door while the opening in the face plate of the other catch assembly 12 is adjacent the outer edge of the door jamb. On the other hand, this relationship of the opening may be reversed if it is desired to have the door open inwardly. At the same time, the distance between the door and door jamb must be such that the cylindrical catch member mounted on the door jamb will be in the path of travel of the catch member carried by the door. By this construction, when the door is closed, the catch members carried by the door and door jamb will engage each other and be resiliently urged rearwardly with respect to their associated face plates. The two catch members will roll over one another upon further closing of the door permitting easy closing of the door and the catch member carried by the door will then be engaged behind the catch member carried by the door jamb, thereby resiliently urging the door towards its closed position against the door stop 14.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel door catch for dryers and other equipment operable to resiliently maintain a door in a closed position and which will not interfere with the door seal placed about the periphery of the door or doorway. In addition, the present invention provides a novel door catch enclosed entirely within the door and door jamb and which may be manufactured relatively easily and cheaply. The present invention also provides a novel explosion type latch which will resiliently and firmly maintain a door closed, yet unlocked so that a rapid increase in pressure on the inner side of the door will cause the door to open.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a door catch comprising a pair of similar catch assemblies adapted to be mounted in opposed relation on a door and door jarnb; a face plate for each catch assembly having an elongated rectangular opening therein laterally offset from the center of the face plate, a cylindrical catch member in each catch assembly operable to be engaged behind each other when the two catch assemblies are in confronting relation and resiliently maintain the door in a closed position, said cylindrical catch members having a diameter greater than the width of the opening in the face plates and operable to project partially through the openings, and a resilient backing plate having one edge thereof secured to the face plate and the other edge thereof in engagement with the peripheral surface of said catch member, said resilient backing plate being operable to resiliently urge the cylindrical catch member forwardly with respect to the face plate to maintain the cylindrical catch member in position relative to the face plate and permit relative rotation and displacement of the catch members with respect to one another when the same pass over each other during opening and closing of the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 357,578 Church Feb. 15, 1887 842,009 Record Jan. 22, 1907 915,779 Maguire Mar. 23, 1909 922,328 Poche May 18, 1909 1,692,366 Bean Nov. 20, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,273 Australia Mar. 15, 1927 8,939 Great Britain of 1904 96,111 Sweden June 27, 1939 

